Variable-speed governor.



Patented May 27, I902.

w. J. STILL. VARIABLE SPEED GOVERNOR. (Application filed Apt- 23, 1900.Renewed Apr. 10, 1902.}

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES \VILLIAM JOSEPH STILL,

PATENT OFFICE.

or TORONTO, CANADA.

VARIABLE-SPEED GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 700,848, dated May 27,1902.

Application filed April 23,1900. Renewed April 10, 1902. Serial No.102,262.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that 1, WILLIAM JOSEPH STILL, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province ofOntario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVariable-Speed Governors, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in variable-speed governors; andthe object of my invention is to design a governor of the classdescribed that will be automatic in its operation; and it consists,essentially, of a springcontrolled arm pivotedto a revolving support,suitable means being operated by said pivoted arm for regulating anysuitable valve-gear that determines the amount of motive power suppliedto the revolving support, means being in the path of movement of saidpivoted arm for controlling movement of same, as hereinafter moreparticularly explained.

Figures 1, 2, 3, 4,, and 5 are face views of my governor, parts beingremoved, showing the position of the parts of the governor at differentperiods of their operation. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line a:11 Fig. 5.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding partsin each figure.

J ournaled in the bracket A* and in the standard A is a stub-shaft A Thestandard A is supported upon suitable legs 13. Keyed to the outer end ofthe stub-shaft A is a ring a, the outer periphery of which is eccentric,as shown at a The stub-shaft A is cut away on its under side, forming apas sage-way A (see Fig. 6,) in which operates the head A of theoperating-arm B, which is pivoted at Z) to the end of the shaft A. TheshaftA is driven by any suitable means, said means beingcontrolledbyavalve-gear which regulates the supply of motive power to the saidoperating means. Above the passageway A the stub-shaft A is semicircularin cross-section, as shown at A and is provided on its upper side with alug a Secured to the bearing-bracket A is a spring a which normallyrests in contact with the lug a The object of this spring is to keep thestubshaft A in the position required by engaging with either side of thesaid lug when the stubshaft is turned. Each end of thesemicircularly-formed portion A is preferably bev- (No model.)

at a and a Near the lower end of the arm B is a weight-b suitablysecured thereto. The object of this weight is to balance the weight ofthe arm B around its pivot 19, so that the said arm-will-not be affectedby oscillations or shocks imparted to the mechanism.

J ournaled on the eccentric ring a is an arm B connected by the pin 17*to the supportingeled, as shown arm B which is secured by the pin b tothe lower bearing portion of the standard A 0 is a spring connecting thesupportingarm B with theope'rating-arm B.

12' is a guard secured at b to the standard A 0 is a lug secured to orforming part of the lower bearing portion of the standard A 0 is an armstiffly pivoted by the pin O to the arm B Loosely journaled on the pin 0is a swinging plate 0 to which is secured near its upper forward end theescapement plate 0 O is an escapement-pawl secured at O to theoperating-arm B.

The swinging plate 0 is prevented from moving down too far by means ofthe pin L secured to the arm 0 L is a spring extending from under thepin L around the pin 0 and is secured by its end Z to the swinging plate0 The object of this spring is to keep the plate 0 in its normalposition.

The arm 0 is provided with a handle 0.

Havingnow described the parts of my gov ernor, I shall describe'itsoperation. It will be seen on referenceto the drawings that immediatelyafter the end 0 of the arm B escapes the lug O there are two forcesacting upon the said armviz., the force created by the rotation of theshaft A driving the arm upwardly and the force of the epringO tending torotate the said arm around its pivot Z2. The whole governing efifect ofthe mechanism is produced by the speed with which the arm B is drivenupwardly and by the distance through which the said arm has to bemovedby its pin 1) after the end 0 escapes the lug 0 before theescapement-plate 0 comes within the radial path of the escapement-pawl 0The frequency with which the governoropcrates to increase or diminishthe supply of motive power to the operating means for the shaft A ischanged by altering the distance that the escapement-plate 0 extendsinto the radial path of the escapement-pawl 0 It will be seen from thisthat there is no necessity to alter the initial tension of the spring 0to vary the speed of the shaft A. During the following-describedoperation the shaft A is supposed to be driven at its maximum speed. Thesaid shaft being revolved in the direction indicated by arrow raises upthe operating-arm B, Fig. 3, and brings the notch a of the head A intocontact with the beveled end 0, and moves the stub-shaft A around in thedirection indicated by arrow, thus moving the lever X, Fig. 6, connectedthereto (which for illustration controls any suitable valve-gearconnected with operating means for the shaft A) and decreases the amountof energy imparted to the said operating means forthesaidsha-ft.Simultaneouslytheabovedescribed operation takes place the eccentric ringa, keyed to the stub-shaft A, moves the arm B and the escapement-plat-eO farther into the radial path of the escapement-pawl 0 thereby enablingthe required time to elapse before the arm B will operate the stubshaftA to increase the speed of the shaft A. When the operating-arm Bdescends, its end 0 abuts the lug 0 moving the said arm into theposition shown in Fig. 4. When the end 0 escapes the lug 0 theescapement-pawl 0 will again be intercepted by the escapement-plate O,as the said escapement-plate is thrown farther into the radial path ofthe said escapement-pawl and will merely repeat its former motion. Thiswill be continued until the speed of the shaft diminishes in proportionto the distance the escapement-plate O has been inserted into the radialpath of the arm B, when the escapement-plate 0 will fail to interceptthe escapement-pawl 0 and the spring O ,will bring the head A of the armB against the guard B and the said head will slide upwardly in contactwith the said guard, (see Fig. 5,) bringing the notch a into contactwith the beveled end a thus moving the stub-shaft A into the positionshown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, thus through the valve-gear increasing thesupply of motive power to the means which operates the shaft A. Theposition of the arm B when it is being dominated bythe spring 0 anddrawn into the position shown in Fig. 5 is shown dotted in Fig. 4.-

Simultaneously the operatingarm B has moved the stub-shaft A and itsconnected parts into the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5 theeccentric ring a has moved the arm B to normal, thus diminishing thedistance that the escapement-plate 0 extends into the ra dial path ofthe escapement-pawl 0 As a result of the before-described operation thespeed of the shaftA increases; but the escapement-plate 0 being nowfarther from the radial center of the escapement-pawl O the arm B,although engaging with the lug 0 as formerly, will for a time continueto be dominated by the spring 0 and pass by the escapement-plate O andwill simply repeat the motion last described. As the speed of the shaftincreases the tiine'given for ,the spring 0 to act upon the arm 13 willdiminish in proportion to the increase in the speed of the shaft A, sothat the escapement-pawl 0 during an upward movement of the arm B willagain beintercepted by the escapement-plate O and the first-describedoperation will be repeated. The reason for the relative movement of theescapement-plate O by the eccentricallyjournaled arm B nearer to or awayfrom the radial center of the escapementpawl O at each change in theposition of the stub-shaft A is to prevent the governor from being toosensitive to slight variations in the speed of the shaft A.

The ends 0 and o of the escapement-plate O and escapement-pawl 0respectively, are preferably knife-edges. If at any time during theupward -movement of the operatingarm 13' the knife-edge 0 should contactwith the knife-edge 0 of the escapement-plate 0 saidescapement-plate.will, as it is springheld, give and allow theoperating-arm B" to move to the limit of its upward stroke, and thusenable the said parts to operate as if there were no obstruction.

In case I wish the shaftA to be kept driven at its maximum speed I throwthe arm 0 upwardly around the pin 0 thereby throwing theescapement-plate 0 out of the radial path of movement of theescapement-pawl 0 Consequently the spring 0 brings the head A in contactwith the guard 13, and the arm 13 having to keep this position at eachrevolution of the shaft A goes through the operation before described ofoperating the stubshaft A into position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. Incase I wish to stop the shaft A, I throw the arm O 'downwardly (when theparts are in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4) around the pin 0",thereby throwing the escapement plate 0 so far into the radial path ofthe escapement-pawl O that the said escapementpawl will abut saidescapement-p1ate whenever the end '0 escapes the lug 0 The escapement-pawl 0 therefore cannot pass by the escapement-plate O andpermit the head A of the arm B to operate the stub-shaft A, so as tocause increased energy to be supplied to the operating means for theshaft A. The supply of energy to the said operating means for the saidshaft having been reduced, the said shaft will slow down to its. minimumspeed, when the energy for the said operating means for the said shaftcan be in any suitable manner entirely out off.

I of course do not confine myself to theconstruction herein shown anddescribed, as the same may be altered inmany ways without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

I. A variable-speed governor comprising a crank attached to a revolvingsupport held in suitable bearings, a spring-controlled arm pivoted tosaid crank, a lug placed in the path of movement of said arm so as tooperate said spring-controlled arm at each revolution of said revolvingsupport, as described, a guiding-plate placed in the path of movement ofsaid arm so as to guide the movement of said arm above or below saidplate as the speed of the support rises or falls, and means in the pathof said arm, being operated by same, for regulating the speed of saidrevolving support, as set forth and for the purpose specified.

2. A variable-speed governor comprising a crank attached to a revolvingsupport held in suitable bearings, a spring-controlled arm pivoted onsaid crank, a lug placed in the path of movement of said arm so as tooperate said spring-controlled arm at each revolution of said revolvingsupport, as described, a guiding-plate placed in the path of movement ofsaid arm so as to guide the movement of said arm above or below saidplate as the speed of therevolving support rises or falls, means forvarying the position of said guiding-plate relative to the path ofmovement of said arm for increasing or diminishing the speed of saidrevolving support, and means in the path of said arm, being operated bysame, for regulating the speed of said revolving support, as set forthand for the purpose specified.

3. A variable-speed governor comprising a crank attached to a revolvingsupport held in suitable bearings, a spring-controlled arm pivoted onsaid crank, a lug placed in the path of movement of said arm so as tooperate said two subscribing witnesse spring-controlled arm at eachrevolution of said support, as described, a guiding-plate placed in thepath of movement of said arm so as to guide the movement of said armabove or below said plate as the speed of the said support rises orfalls, automatic means for varying the position of said guiding-platerelative to the path of movement of said arm for increasing ordiminishing the speed of said revolving support, and means in the pathof said arm, being operated by same, for regulatin g the speed of thesaid revolving support, as set forth and for the purpose specified.

t. A variable-speed governor comprising a crank attached to a revolvingsupport held in suitable bearings, a spring-controlled arm pivoted onsaid crank, a lug placed in the path of movement of said arm so as tooperate said arm at each revolution of said revolving sup port, and aspring-controlled guiding-plate in the pathof movement of saidspring-con trolled arm incapable of offering fracturing resistance tothe motion of said arm in case of contact between said arm and saidspringcontrolled plate, as set forth and for the pur pose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of s WILLIAM JOSEPH STILL.

Witnesses:

L. O. REYNOLDS, EGERTON R. CASE.

